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Stay Above the Fray

How to Navigate Office

Politics and Personalities
By Stephanie Stephens

Youre doing what you wanted to do with

your life, you have a purpose, and youre
making a difference in healthcare technology.
Everything would be just perfect if only you
didnt have to work with people.
Office politics is a reality, whether you
consider yourself a skilled game player or
someone whod rather keep score from the
sidelines. As the classical Greek philosopher
Plato said, One of the penalties for refusing
to participate in politics is that you end up
being governed by your inferiors.
At work, just as in life, you probably wont
get along with everyone. In fact, research
shows that employees relationships with the
boss and with their coworkers are among the
top reasons people quit their jobs. So, if you
stay, youd better learn to play.
The situation can be difficult if youre the
type who wants to be liked by everybody, says
Donald Armstrong, program coordinator at
GE Healthcare Diagnostic and Clinical
Services in Houston, TX.
Although I try to focus on the goal and
the mission, I keep in mind that the people
who have worked with me during my career
are individuals in their own ways and they
respond differently to different things, says
Armstrong, who has held leadership roles
for 15 years.
Youve no doubt found yourself needing to
intercede when a member of your team is
missing the goal and you see a better way.
Armstrong seeks to nip the problem in the

bud, facing it head-on, and not letting it

linger. He also likes to bestow praise when
someone deserves it and to correct a problem
when it needs to be fixed.
I try to explain what that person is doing
right and not doing so right, he says.
Almost any message can be delivered with
grace and kindness, and while yelling or
shaming is not the right approach, it doesnt
make you a bad guy if you approach the
situation directly .
Armstrong believes that teammates generally have a positive agenda and that they come

About the Author

Stephanie
Stephens, MA,
is a freelance
writer, producer,
and multimedia
expert. E-mail:
stephanie@
stephaniestephens.com

Experts agree that all organizations

are political. Learning to navigate
that type of environment
effectively, efficiently, and ethically
can be a daunting task.

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to work wanting to do a good job. Maybe they

have problems at home or theyve been
disappointed by someone at work, he says. If
their work is suffering, I try to find out whats
going on and approach it in a direct way at
another time. Its important to manage people
without getting personal.

Almost any message can be delivered with

grace and kindness, and while yelling or
shaming is not the right approach, it doesnt
make you a bad guy if you approach the
situation directly.
Donald Armstrong, program coordinator at GE
Healthcare Diagnostic and Clinical Services in Houston, TX

what you plan to do, she says. Say something like, We cant seem to solve this
problem, so maybe its time to bring other
people in to let them know the difficulties
were having as we try to meet our goal. Ill
speak to my boss to let him know.
That tactic may motivate the person to
cooperate and to understand they cant
continue to behave this way if youre going
up the chain of command.
If on the other hand you worry about being
too nice, remember that as a manager youve
been given a position of authority and you
dont have to apologize for that, says Meehan.
The more direct you are without being
aggressive, the less confused the person will
be about what you want them to do.

Leggo Your Ego

That ego we all havea persons sense of
self-esteem or self-importanceoften is the
The words personal and professional get
cause of problems at work. In her book,
bandied about frequently during discussions
Beyond Office Politics, Linda Sommer of
about office politics. Be less emotional and
Sommer Consulting in the Philadelphia, PA,
approach everything from a professional
area says mammals have three mentalities:
standpoint, especially if someone else is seen solo, herd, and hierarchical, with us humans
as difficult, says Abbe Meehan, human
joining chimps and apes in that last category.
resources expert and president of TEC
Members of our species, she says, have an
Resource Center in Farmingdale, NY.
instinct to position themselves as highly in
Try to understand the other persons point
the social system as they can. Much of our
of view, she suggests.
stress and conflict is
Dont overreact,
about how we continuIf you need to be assertive,
speak calmly, and
ously reposition
state
what
the
problem
is
remember whats most
ourselves. ... Business
important, says
executives and other
and tell the person how it
Meehan. That helps
professionals are always
makes you feel when he
you move forward to
positioning and reposiundermines
you,
goes
around
get the job done.
tioning themselves to
you, or doesnt give you the
If you need to be
raise their relative rank.
assertive, state what the
To better understand
information you need.
problem is and tell the
the humans in your
person how it makes
workplace, consider
you feel when he undermines you, goes
these three motives as you try to match that
around you, or doesnt give you the informaperson and their style:
tion you need.
Power: the need to be in charge and exert
That can create a problem for the entire
influence
organization, says Meehan. So when you
Affiliation: the need to be friendly and
tell them calmly that their behavior really
competitive
makes things difficultchallenging them in
Achievement: the need to get things done
an unemotional way and not attackingit
may ultimately change the way they behave.
Add these insights about each motive to
If you still cant make headway, you may
your knowledge base:
have to go further, but let the person know
Do It My Way: The Power person is into

The Notions of Emotions

172

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me, me, me, Sommer says, and always

seems to have the right answers. Engage
them in conversation with a question
such as May I pick your brain?or use a
compliment to find a way of recognizing
who they are.
Lets Get Together: Affiliation is about
us and we, so use those words to
convey a sense of belonging and that this is
a team effort. This person likes things to
work well and go smoothly, she says.
Eureka! Ive got it!: Achievement is about
the bottom line and the accomplishment,
so ask that person something thats job
related and goal oriented.
Understanding the patterns of what
motivates a person intuitively tells you more
about what theyre really doing, says Sommer. Youre never left without a tool to help
make things work more smoothly.

Make Yourself Matter

yourself to be abused by others, he says.

You matter, so act like your needs are as
important as other peoples, and not less
important, Nydegger says. You may then
find it easier to stand up for yourself and
people will really respect that.
Possessing insights and tools to navigate
personalities at work means youre happier,
and ultimately, your teams priorities remain
on the task at hand and not focused on
internal turmoil. n

Be a good role model by treating

people civilly and professionally, no
matter where you are in the pecking
order.
Rudy Nydegger clinical psychologist,
management consultant, and author in
Niskayuna, NY

If you accept that all organizations are

political, and thats neither good nor bad, you
can learn to operate and manage effectively,
ethically, and efficiently in a political environment, says clinical psychologist, management
consultant, and author Rudy Nydegger of
Niskayuna, NY.
You cant just hide away, because youre
involved by simply being part of the system,
he says. To move ahead, first decide what you
can control and what you cant. Be careful
not to just think things would be fine if
so-and-so would change, because that person
wont. You, however, can control your own
behavior and how you respond to others.
At work, if you hear about hidden agendas and that only certain people will talk to
you, youre probably in a fairly political
environment. If so, dont shut down, but
communicate openly and frequently with
other people, Nydegger says. Be a good role
model by treating people civilly and professionally, no matter where you are in the
pecking order.
Through his psychology practice, Nydegger
has observed that while many men consider
assertion to be normal, some women still
confuse the term with being aggressive.
Assertiveness is not always a hard-wired trait,
but a set of skills that can be learned and
improved with practice so that you dont allow
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